Child of Grey
by Queen Alexandra
Summary: A girl with mysterious powers comes to Hogwarts. Who is she? Better than it sounds!
1. Trainrides, Mudbloods and Purple Skin

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If anyone is reading this, this is my first Fanfic ever, so tell me what you think! And I can't promise to update this too too often, as stupid school is always in the way. Also, if anybody has any suggestions for a better title and how to improve, please tell me (in other words, review) !!!  
  
Disclaimer: If you think that I have enough money to own Harry Potter you have got to be crazy!!!  
  
**Child of Grey**  
  
Harry Potter trudged down the length of the Hogwarts Express, dragging his heavy trunk behind him. He was looking for the compartment in which he usually sat in with his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. _Its lucky the Dursleys dropped me off so early_, he thought. _All the rest of the students trying to get here in time'd probably trample me._ Unfortunately Harry hadn't been able to stay at the Weasley's hose this summer at all during summer holidays, as they had won a trip to North America. That meant that he hadn't seen Hermione either - the Dursleys would hardly let him out of their sight lest he did anything remotely stranger than they would have liked.  
  
Finally Harry reached his usual compartment, dropped his trunk and opened the door. He heard a stifled gasp and jumped. When his heart stopped beating quite so fast he peered into the corner and saw a pile of robes.  
  
"Who's there?" it asked. "And why are you here so early?"  
  
The poor boy standing in the doorway blinked, blushed to the roots of his black hair and slowly backed away. "S-s-ssorry," he stammered. "I didn't know that anybody else was here-" he gasped as he tripped over his trunk.  
  
The pile of robes stood and revealed a petite girl of around 16, Harry's age. She was very pretty, or at least would have been with her long auburn hair, turned up nose and piercing blue eyes - her pale skin was marred with various bruises and scrapes, which didn't look to be very old.  
  
She walked over and gave Harry a hand up.  
  
"Hello, I just transferred here from Beauxbatons."  
  
"I'm Harry Potter. Nice to meet you! What did you say your name was?" He asked, pulling himself up.  
  
"I didn't. I'm not quite sure what it is, because I've been told that I was left on the front doorstep of a Children's home when I was about a year old. But I've always been called Elizabeth."  
  
All of a sudden Ron and Hermione barged in.  
  
"Harry, you're still alive!" Ron cried. "Those stupid relatives haven't finished you off yet, have they? Mum was so worried about you that she almost apparated right into the Dursleys backyard. Which wasn't too smart because we were so far away. By the way, North America was great! There weren't so many witches and wizards that I could see, and also not so much Quidditch. But the few teams that were there were pretty good, especially the Winnipeg Whompers," he babbled excitedly.  
  
Hermione cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Ron. He finally stopped babbling and saw Elizabeth.   
  
"Sorry 'bout that. Haven't seen him all summer, you know. I'm Ron Weasley, and this bookworm beside me here is Hermione Granger."  
  
"I'm Elizabeth, and I just transferred here from Beauxbatons. Would you like to sit down?"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The three veteran Hogwarts students wasted no time filling the newcomer in on what was what at her new school.  
  
"Watch out for the Slytherins," cautioned Ron. "None of them are ever up to any good. Their Head of House, Professor Snape, is absolutely vile. He *never* misses a chance to take house points off our house (which is Gryffindor, by the way) and give as many as possible to his own. He also looks like an overgrown bat, so be careful."  
  
"But Ron, I haven't been sorted yet. What would you say about me if I ended up there?" Elizabeth asked curiously. She found these three very easy to talk to, even though she had never had all that many friends.  
  
Ron's ears turned bright red as he tried to find something to say.  
  
Harry grinned and said "You don't really *look* like a Slytherin. I would say you are more of a Gryffindor. Well, at least you would match the decor," as he looked at her scarlet hair.  
  
The said redhead laughed and punched him in the arm.  
  
"I wonder, though, if you'll be sorted with the first years or what," said Hermione thoughtfully.  
  
"Mean it's not in 'Hogwarts: A History' or anything?" Asked Ron.  
  
"No, it doesn't mention anything about transfer students. But then again, it doesn't say anything about the meaningless slavery of house elves either," the Hermione retorted as the lunch cart rolled in.  
  
As usual, Harry bought as much candy as he thought that he needed to, as well as enough cauldron cakes for everyone. Ron and Hermione took their turns, and the kind old witch turned and asked if Elizabeth wanted anything.  
  
"No, thank you. I - I didn't bring any money," she said quietly, looking down. So the old witch with the cart smiled apologetically and left.  
  
Ron started digging through his small pile of candy, looking through boxes of Chocolate Frogs for any card that he might not have had yet, while Harry passed out the traditional Caldron Cakes for all. As he tossed a couple to Elizabeth she protested.  
  
"You really shouldn't," she said. "I'll be fine."  
  
"Nonsense," said Hermione. "He *likes* to do this, seeing as these are the only thing we'll let him buy for us. We do have out pride, after all."  
  
"Yeah, he actually likes sharing." Ron added. "But then again, I might too if I didn't have six other siblings to share with."  
  
"Well, Harry, if you insist," consented the other redhead as she opened a cake and bit into it. She was actually pretty hungry, she realized. And were those ever good!  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The four friends spent the rest of the train ride playing endless games of exploding snap and wizard's chess, eating candy, practicing new spells and just talking. Hermione was just teaching Elizabeth the disarming spell when Draco Malfoy appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Well, Potter," he smirked. "Another filthy little mudblood to join your fanclub?"  
  
"Jealous, are you Malfoy?" Hermione asked sarcastically.  
  
"Why would I be so jealous of Mudbloods like you?"  
  
"We have friends and all that you have are fat, stupid bodyguards", Ron retorted. "Which you don't even have, seeing as they were expelled last year…"  
  
"So, mudblood, I guess you have 'friends' to stand up for you." Malfoy said to Elizabeth, who was by now seething with rage. How _dare _he judge her like that when he didn't even know her! He was just like the others, she thought. Shallow, prejudiced purebloods…  
  
"If you call me that one more time, I swear I'm going to hurt you," Elizabeth said as calmly as she could, memories of being taunted for her unknown heritage running through her mind.  
  
"Don't like being teased, eh, mudblood? Haven't gotten used to it by now? I'll bet that they were glad to get rid of you at your last school. Or at least they would have if they had any sense of wizard pride."

  
"SHUT UP!!!" With that, and a flash of light, Elizabeth lost her temper. Before she knew it the heir to the Malfoy fortune was lying unconscious on the ground sporting purple skin (which clashed horribly with his white-blond hair) and apparently a full body bind.  
  
A moment later, as the inhabitants of the train surveyed the damage, a voice drifted magically through the train. "We have now arrived at Hogsmeade Station. Please leave your things on the train and gather in the lobby."  
  
One by one the four exited the compartment, Harry in the lead. As he walked past the body on the floor he just couldn't resist kicking it slightly. Nor could the others. As she walked past, Elizabeth said something that she had always wanted to -- "Filthy little pureblood, aren't you?" 

~*~*~*~*~

End Chapter One

This fic has just been revamped and edited slightly – spelling and grammar corrected and such, and a new title. And right now I'm working on Chapter 2. Tell me what you think!


	2. Of Carriages, Arrivals, and a Healing

****

Child of Grey

Chapter 2 

Elisabeth sat in the "horseless" carriage on the final leg of her journey to her new school, practically trembling with fear. What was going to happen to her? Was she going to be expelled from the school before she got to know what it was like to be away from the taunts about her unknown, supposedly "mudblood" parents, or the cruel pranks that had always governed her life at Durmstrang? And what were her new friends going to say when they found out that she really hadn't gone to Beauxbatons? The only reason she had lied was because it was a known Dark Arts school, and she knew Hogwart's reputation of shunning them. And she hadn't even _meant_ to hurt Malfoy like that. But how did she do it? It only really happened when she was incredibly angry. And that was rather normal for younger wizards. But purple skin? That was really weird…

Finally Elisabeth was startled out of her thoughts with a small voice. "Are you okay?" asked Hermione.

"Why?" was the astonished reply. Few people had ever spoken to her like they actually cared…

"Well, I don't know how you feel, but I know when _I_ get teased like that, it really hurts." The corners of Hermione's mouth tightened. "As if I can do anything about being muggle-born," she added with bitterness.

"Come on, Mione! He does that to you all the time. Shouldn't you be used to it by now?" said Ron. "And besides," he added hastily, seeing the look on her face, "scum like him should never be listened to."

Hermione looked at him sharply. "Think about that next time he bugs you about your financial situation. And how many times hve I told you not to call me that?" Elisabeth and Harry watched with interest as Ron's ears turned bright red to match his hair, and his mouth flapping with indignation like a fish.

"Stop it, you two. This is no way to start a new school year!" said Harry, sounding rather like Mrs. Weasley. "And besides, you're acting like little preschoolers!"

Elisabeth smiled to herself, thinking that whatever they turned out to be, she rather liked her new friends. Her smile froze as she thought about those who she had thought to be her friends before. They had always turned out to be the first ones to prank her or to be unimaginably cruel to her. How she hoped that it wouldn't be the case this time!

Harry's little speech on behavior hadn't helped the situation between Hermione and Ron at all, so he leaned back in the cushioned seat, looking out the window to the view of Hogwarts Castle looming closer in the distance. He was sure that he had met the beautiful, if bruised, girl across from him _somewhere_ before. But where? He knew for sure that he had never met her while he was at the Dursely's - he would have remembered her from his muggle primary school. And she had never been to Hogwarts before, so he could never have met her there. So why did she look so familiar? And how in the world did she ever hit Malfoy with two hexes at once without even drawing his wand? The most he had ever managed was to blow up his aunt when she made fun of _his _parents. Now this was food for thought…

Harry and Elisabeth stared out of the window for the rest of the journey ignoring the stubborn arguing of Ron and Hermione, thinking their own private thoughts and wondering about the next school year. What would it bring?

~*~*~*~*~

A few minutes later, the carriage stopped and the four teenagers jumped out cautiously onto the gravel and walked through the huge doors of the Entrance Hall. Elisabeth stopped dead in her tracks for a moment on the threshold, not wanting to get even closer to what she knew to be HUGE trouble. Only when Harry looked back to see where she had gone did she slowly start moving forward, dreading every step that brought her closer to what she was sure to be expulsion.

At last she caught a glimpse of a stern-looking, rather elderly witch in the company of her new friends. Or shall we say, keeping Harry, Ron and Hermione prisoner. Elisabeth was just about to obey her instincts and RUN, but at that exact moment the witch caught sight of her and beckoned her over. She hesitated for a moment, and walked towards her doom...

~*~*~*~*~

"I am Professor McGonagall," said the elderly witch sternly, "and I am the head of house for Gryffindor. I would assume that you would be our new transfer student Miss…"

"Elisabeth, Professor. Just Elisabeth," she said, looking down.

"Well, Elisabeth," she continued with a hint of amusement, "it has come to my attention that a certain Mr. Malfoy was found outside your compartment, sporting purple skin and a full bodybind. Your friends have told me that you have nothing to do with it, and that he provoked them, but it is required that I get a statement from everyone." Elisabeth's mouth hung open, astonished that they would lie for _her_. "However, I think that it would be more wise to get you cleaned up a bit first," eyeing her cuts and bruises with what appeared to be sympathy. "Miss Granger, if you could escort her to Madame Pomfrey it would be much appreciated. Once she is finished up there, just come downstairs to eat and be sorted. This issue will be dealt with later."

"Yes, Professor," Elisabeth said softly, and walked off with Hermione through the long corridors towards the infirmary. They had barely made it halfway, however, before they spotted the elderly matron bustling down the hallway towards them.

"You've barely even got here and you need medical help," Madame Pomfrey said exasperatedly. "You're not the only one either!" She continued without waiting for an answer. "And then there are some who keep on coming back with odd things sprouting and purple skin... Well, which of you needs help? Dumbledore told me that one of you needs assistance," She added kindly.

Elisabeth spoke up. "If you could help me with these bruises and such..."

"Ah, yes," Madame Pomfrey said. "You do look like you need some help. Well, then, if you would step inside this classroom - yes, you can come along too. It won't take a minute," She said to Hermione, who was trying to look rather inconspicuous.

They stepped inside the empty classroom, and Elisabeth was told to sit on the desk. She quickly obeyed, and Madame Pomfrey poked and prodded her with her wand. "Hmmmm, all that you have there is extensive bruising and a few scrapes. Were any of these made by spells or anything like that?" Elisabeth shook her head mutely. "All right then. Just one moment..." She mumbled a few words under her breath, "and we're done." All of the bruises on Elisabeth's face and the stiffness in her battered body had vanished, leaving her feeling _much_ better than she previously had, and she hopped off the desk. "Enjoy the feast, and don't let me see you for at least a few weeks," Madame Pomfrey said as the two girls walked out of the door.

Whew!!! One thing over with, Elisabeth thought. _Now all that I have to do today is get sorted and to talk to Professor McGonagall. Shouldn't be too bad..._

~*~*~*~*~

I'm finally done the second chapter!!! Whoopee!!! ^_^ I'll start on chapter 3 next week, as I am going to be away on holidays with my family. And thanks to _all_ of my _wonderful_ reviewers for telling me how I've been doing so far.... in case you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic...


	3. Of sortings, food and questions

**Child of Grey**   
**Chapter 3**

Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table with Ron, saving a spot for Hermione and Elisabeth, provided she got into their house. He looked towards the door, not exactly sure why he was so confident that his new friend was a Gryffindor type. He'd known her all of eight hours after all...

Ron broke into his thoughts with a loud groan. "I'm so hungry! Why don't they just start the sorting?"

"They're probably waiting for Elisabeth to join --" Harry's argument was cut off as Professor McGonagall set the Sorting Hat on its traditional stool. As per usual, the hat opened the large rip on the brim and began to sing, awing the first years into silence.

_In times of old when I was new  
and Hogwarts barely started  
the founders of our noble school  
thought never to be parted:  
united by a common goal,  
they had the selfsame yearning,  
to make the world's best magic school  
and pass along their learning.  
"Together we will build and teach!"  
the four good friends decided  
and never did they dream that they  
might someday be divided,  
for were there such friends anywhere  
as Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there and so can tell  
the whole sad sorry tale.  
  
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those  
whose ancestry is purest."  
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
intelligence is surest."  
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
with brave deeds to their name."  
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,  
and treat them just the same."  
  
These differences caused little strife  
when first they came to light,  
for each of the four founders had  
a House in which they might  
take only those they wanted, so,  
for instance, Slytherin  
took only pure-blood wizards  
of great cunning, just like him,  
and only those of sharpest mind  
were taught by Ravenclaw,  
while the bravest and the boldest  
went to daring Gryffindor.  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,  
and taught them all she knew,  
thus the Houses and their founders  
retained friendships firm and true.  
  
So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
for several happy years,  
but then discord crept among us  
feeding on our faults and fears.  
The Houses that, like pillars four,  
had once held up our school,  
now turned upon each other and,  
divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school  
must meet an early end,  
what with dueling and with fighting  
and the clash of friend on friend.  
And at last there came a morning  
when old Slytherin departed  
and though the fighting then died out  
he left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
were whittled down to three  
have the Houses been united  
as they once were meant to be.  
  
And now the Sorting Hat is here  
and you all know the score:  
I sort you into Houses  
because that is what I'm for,  
but this year I'll go further,  
listen closely to my song:  
though condemned I am to split you  
still I worry that it's wrong,  
though I must fulfill my duty  
and must quarter every year  
still I wonder whether sorting  
may not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
the warning history shows,  
for our Hogwarts is in danger  
from external, deadly foes  
and we must unite inside her  
or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you...  
let the Sorting now begin._

Just as last year, the applause was scattered amid whispers. The hat had just sung the same song twice in a row! Not even Nearly Headless Nick could remember anything like that ever happening. The students were strangely silent for a moment, wondering if they were going to be told anything about what exactly had just happened. After everybody realized that Dumbledore wasn't going to tell them anything yet, they broke out in whispers once more. Finally Professor McGonagall started reading names off of her scroll, sending "Adams, Franklin" up to be sorted into Ravenclaw.

About halfway through the list (McDouglas, Rose -- HUFFLEPUFF!) a slight redhead and bushy-haired brunette slipped quietly into the hall unnoticed. Except for a certain pair of green eyes. Not to mention another pair of dark gray ones.

~*~*~*~

Elisabeth stood at the back of the line of first years waiting to be sorted, self-conscious of the people staring at her, no doubt wondering what she was doing there. Needless to say, she was even more grateful that Madame Pomfrey had healed all of her bruises as to not stand out any more. 

As she pondered these things, the line was getting shorter and shorter. Finally Professor McGonagall called out "Zynkovski, Quentin" (Slytherin). As the Slytherin applause died down, Dumbledore stood up. "I would like to announce a sadly rare occurrence," he said in his deep voice. Ignoring the curious whispers he continued. "A transfer student. Traditionally and unfortunately, wizarding schools have guarded their halls of learning jealously, rarely, if ever, allowing students to transfer elsewhere. But under special circumstances, we have accepted one into Hogwarts. Elisabeth, if you would please go up and be sorted."

Elisabeth nervously walked the few steps to the ancient stool where the sorting hat was, sat down and put on the enchanted hat. 

_Hmmm_, a little voice said in her head. _No, dear, you're not crazy hearing voices like this. I'm just hear to sort you. And yes, I do this to everybody_. Elisabeth sighed in relief. _You know, you would do rather well in Slytherin. Quite cunning, and you would get a lot of respect for what you did to the Malfoy heir..._ *NO*, Elisabeth thought frantically. *I do NOT want to be in Slytherin. Besides, I didn't do that to Malfoy on purpose.* _Humph, Slytherin isn't THAT bad. Time was NOBODY would argue with me. Anyway, if you don't want to go there, it'd better be, _"GRYFFINDOR!"

Elisabeth took off the Sorting Hat, immensely relieved, barely noticing the applause. In a daze she walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Harry. Now all she had to do was eat, sleep and -- go see Professor McGonagall...

~*~*~*~

Yay! Done another chapter! I know that this is getting to be really slow and rather predictable, but I promise that there will be more action in the next couple of chapters. Also, sorting songs are still welcome ( not that I've gotten any), as are reviews. PLEASE. A beta reader would be nice too, but I may be asking too much... 


End file.
